mislead

verb

mis·lead ˌmis-ˈlēd

misled ˌmis-ˈled

; misleading

Synonyms of mislead next

transitive verb

: to lead in a wrong direction or into a mistaken action or belief often by deliberate deceit

His comments were a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.

intransitive verb

: to lead astray : give a wrong impression

exciting as they are, they mislead—

E. M. Forster

misleader noun

misleadingly

ˌmis-ˈlē-diŋ-lē

adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for mislead

deceive, mislead, delude, beguile mean to lead astray or frustrate usually by underhandedness.

deceive implies imposing a false idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment, or helplessness.

tried to deceive me about the cost

mislead implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional.

I was misled by the confusing sign

delude implies deceiving so thoroughly as to obscure the truth.

we were deluded into thinking we were safe

beguile stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving.

was beguiled by false promises

Examples of mislead in a Sentence

We believe that her comments were deliberately meant to mislead the public. We believe that her comments were deliberately meant to mislead.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Despite research dispelling many false claims, public mistrust was fueled by mixed messaging and exaggerated claims, causing many people to feel misled, according to medical experts. —

Sabrina Malhi The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 30 Nov. 2024 On October 21, the SEC announced a penalty against WisdomTree Asset Management for misleading investors relating to ESG funds. —

Jon McGowan, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024 That’s the warning from EU auditors, who say consumers are at risk of being tricked by confusing and sometimes misleading food labels. —

Nick Rockel, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2024 Related Articles Earlier this year Dior vowed to take a larger proportion of its production in-house after Italy’s competition authority launched investigation proceedings into several companies belonging to the Dior Group and the Armani Group for possibly misleading consumers. —

Lily Templeton, WWD, 27 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mislead